Corset-clasp.



lNo. '761,931.-

UNITED STATES.'

Patented June '7, 1904.

PATENI OFFICE.

GEORGE O. VENZELL, OF GERMANTOVVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

CORSET-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,931, dated' June*7., 1904.

Appiicaiou meneame-10,1901. seriaiNo. 85,340. .No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. VVnNzELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Germantown, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Corset-Clasp, of which the following is atrue and ,exact descriptionl and specification.

The corset-clasps heretofore and at present in use consist of two stripsof thin steel or other elastic material, one strip bearing lugs or earsof metal with holes or eyes terminatlng in'narrow slots horizontallythereto and the other strip carrying pins or studs which construction,the more important being that'` involuntary disengagement is very apt tooccur, either by the pressure of the body when stooping or bendingforcing the pin backward into the eye, through which it slips, orA

by the breaking of the strip of steel owing to the strain imposedthereon by muscular pressure and the absence of eflicient elasticity dueto the horizontal formation of the slot.

By my invention all difficulties are most effectually overcome, theobjects ofsaid invention being, rst, to attain greater verticalflexibility of the corset when clasped and, second, to securely lock thepins or studs in the slots. struction shown in the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, wherein- Figure ly is aplan view of my improved interlocking corset-clasp, representing thestrips disengaged and showing the pins opposite the termination of theslots. Fig. 2 is a plan view representing thesaid strips injuxtaposition,

the upper pins engaging and pushed to the extremltles of theirrespective slots and show- I attain these objects by the coning indotted lines the position of the lower or locking pin with respect tothe eye of the locking-slot. Fig. 3 is a plan view representing thestrip carrying the pins, the same being depressed in the act ofpermitting the locking-pin to engage the eye of the locking device. Fig.4 is an edge view of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the clasp at rest or in operative position,showing all the pins in the series at the vextremities of theirrespective slots, which result follows upon the release of the elasticstrip subsequentlyto the engage# ment of the locking-pin with the eye ofthe locking device. f

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views. c

My invention and construction consists of two strips of thin steel A andB or other suitable elastic material, one of which, A, carries pins orstuds O, provided with heads D, Fig. il. In this respect and to thisextent my clasp is not unlike those already in use, and l make noclaimthereto except in combination with novel features which lie in thepeculiar and particular formation of the eye and slot in the lugs orstrips of elastic material and the ar# rangement of one eye and slot inthe series and its corresponding pin with respect to each other and theformation of said. eye and slot with respect to the other eyes and slotsin the series, to wit: The other strip, B, car-ries one or more lugs orears E, each of which is provided with an eye F of any desired shape soas to admit the head of the corresponding pin C. This eye terminates ina perpendicularA slot Gr, runninglongitudinally of the strip or buskorvertical or perpendicular with respect to the body of the wearer whenthe corset is in use. Said slots all run in the same direction, areclosed at their freelextremities, and are of a width less than thediameter of the head of the pin and greater than the cylindricaldiameter of its body and are of equal length. Preferably they connectwith the eyes at their sides, and the outer edge of said slots connecttangentially with the periphery of the eyes, as indicated at gthat is,theA outer vertical or perpendicular line of the slot at its point ofmeeting with the curved line IOO v.is

of the eye has the same direction as the said curved line. Thisparticular formation of eye and slot maybe made in the strip of steel orbush itself and not in lugs, as shown.

Another element of my invention is a locking device, which is preferablylocated at the bottom of the series and usually consists of a lug J,provided with an eye K, which terminates in a longitudinal (with respectto the bush) slot L, depending from it and in a reverse direction to therest of the slots in the series. The eye K is so placed with respect toits corresponding pin or stud M that when the upper pins C are insertedin their respective eyes F and pressed upward to the extremities of theslots G the pin M will be adjacent outside the terminal Vicinity of theslot L, as shown in Fig. 2, but cannot enter it until made to do so byspringing1 or bending the strip A, carrying the pin M upward until thesaid pin engages the eye K, conveniently placed for such purpose, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. Upon releasing' the strip the pin M will glideinto the downwardly-depending slotL and be held therein by the naturalelastieity7 of the ribbon of steel, yet at the same time being permittedvertical or longitudinal play therein to relieve strain thereon due tothe movements of the wearer of the corset, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus whenin operation all the pins in the clasp are seated at the extremities oftheir respective slots. The eye and slot of the locking device may be ofany desired formation, providing the eye is either above or belen7 theslot, according as to whether the device or locking' arrangement is atthe top or bottom of the series, or said eye and slot may be formed inthe metallic strip itself; but I prefer the construction shown. rThelocking arrangement may be reversed by placing it at the top of theseries, in which case its slot would be upward in direction or over theeye and the slots of the other lugs in the series would be downward withrespect to their eyes.

The operation of my construction is as follows: The pins or studs C areinserted through the eyes F of the lugs E and are slid into the slots G.The eye K and pin M of the locking device are not at this time (asbefore set forth) longitudinally opposite each other. Therefore in orderto permit the pin to engage the eye the direct distance between said pinand the one above it must be shortened, which is done by depressing orelevating into an are the elastic ribbon of metal to the engaging-point,when by releasing the are thus formed after the pin has engaged the eyethe chord lengthens until it and the arc coincide, the pin beingconveyed to the termination ol its slot L and the clasp securely locked.The pins C travel readily from the eyes F into the vertical slots Galong` the tangent vr/ thereof-that is, the vertical line of the slot atits point of meeting with the curved line ol the eye having the samedirection as said curved line permits easy and expeditious locking ofthe clasp. The verticality ol the slots allows greatly-increased freedomel vertical motion and also of muscular action in any direction by thewearer of the corset and relieves all undue strain on the strips, thusavoiding premature breaking thereof. The pins engaging the slots atright angles to the line of bodily pressure form a series ol slidingjoints, with theresult of decreased resistance to forward, baclnvard,and sidewise bending of the body, and greatly lengthens the life of theelastic ribbons connectingthe eyes and the pins, while at the same timethe re,- tention of the locking-pin in its slot by means of theelasticity of the ribbon of metal prevents most elfeetually prematuredisengagement of the clasp, and this is what extent the corset is lacedor unlaced in the rear.

Having now described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is@

A corset-clasp consisting of two strips ol' elasticmetal; aseries ofheaded pins arranged on one of said strips; a series ol eyes arrangedVon the other strip; perpendicular slots of equal length ruiming in thesame direction and longitudinally of the husk, closed at their upperextremities and connecting at their lower extremities with said eyes atthe sides thereof, the outer edge of said slots connecting tangentiallytherewith; and an eye in the series terminating in a slot of lessdiameter and depending therefrom in a reverse direction to all the otherslots in the series and so arranged that when the clasp is in operationall the pins in the series will rest at the extremities of theirrespective slots,substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE (l. 'ICNZICLL. l itnesses:

E. F. luNznLu FRANK L. VAN HORN.

so no mattei' to- IOO

